Matrix Games Forums

No reply in the support section, so I'll try here.

Very easy question: Is the info in the KP editor AI tutorials at Run5 applicable to the BiN AI - totally/substantially/a little bit/yes and no/not at all?

More difficult question: Any ETA for filling in the AI gap in the BiN editor manual?

I get a reasonable top level feel for programming the thing from playing around with the editor, but some actual documentation might be useful. Specific question: Is "scripting" just a kind of "keyboard/mouse record & playback" thing or is there some kind of scripting language in there somewhere, allowing for events, brnching & so on?

'Scripting' for KP and presumably BiN is that you sit down and play the game as the one side making the exact movements and attacks you want that side to make on its turn. If something is out of place or impossible when the computer tries to do it, nothing takes place. So it's mostly only useful on turn 1 when you want the attacker to do certain things, like take out strongpoints and move up to the front. The defender turn 1 may also use scripting to move units back or release their pickets to move, etc.

Turn 2 scripting might move more units up to the front and if your turn 1 attacks were guaranteed to kill the pickets, for example, you might be able to continue an advance...

Units that are not scripted in a turn move according to the other AI rules. Hmmm, it may be that a unit which cannot do what was scripted for it may use regular AI rules for the turn instead, I haven't gotten that far into it.

But just get in there and play around with it or head over to the Run5 link of ssg.com.au and ask over there. We'll probably have an AI tournament, so I'm sure lots of questions will come up and be answered!

ORIGINAL: Szilard

No reply in the support section, so I'll try here.

Very easy question: Is the info in the KP editor AI tutorials at Run5 applicable to the BiN AI - totally/substantially/a little bit/yes and no/not at all?

More difficult question: Any ETA for filling in the AI gap in the BiN editor manual?

I get a reasonable top level feel for programming the thing from playing around with the editor, but some actual documentation might be useful. Specific question: Is "scripting" just a kind of "keyboard/mouse record & playback" thing or is there some kind of scripting language in there somewhere, allowing for events, brnching & so on?

There's no scripting of AI in BIN. Think very limited parts of tutorial are useable...

Never did any KP AI so the following is my (limited) understanding:

- AI plan is totally different as the scenario designer.
- AI regions are same (or very close)
- AI keys in terrain/CRT data are same (or very close).

Best recommendation on learning to put together new AI for BIN scenarios is to take an existing AI operation and create your own version (easy to create, hard to make good!). Key is to give it a new name and then make it selection 2 (if only one exists already).

Thanks, JSS - much appreciated.

Would be nice to hear from Matrix on when the documentation will be forthcoming: eg real soon now/not sure/depending on whether we win the Melbourne Cup sweeps/etc?

They do say "refer to ssg.com.au" in the editor manual, but I don't see anything there.

ORIGINAL: Szilard

Thanks, JSS - much appreciated.

Would be nice to hear from Matrix on when the documentation will be forthcoming: eg real soon now/not sure/depending on whether we win the Melbourne Cup sweeps/etc?

They do say "refer to ssg.com.au" in the editor manual, but I don't see anything there.

The documentation issue is our problem, nothing to do with Matrix. I would like to fill in the gaps in the manual fairly soon, I'll let people know as soon as I have reasonable date. It won't be too long.

Gregor

Thanks, Gregor.

("Matrix" was a brain-burp for SSG.)

In the meantime, is there any existing documentation which would tell me about linkages? (eg is this a concept which exists in KP).

ORIGINAL: Szilard

Thanks, Gregor.

("Matrix" was a brain-burp for SSG.)

In the meantime, is there any existing documentation which would tell me about linkages? (eg is this a concept which exists in KP).

Before he jetted of on his honeymoon, Rob Gjessing wrote some tutorial notes. This is taken from those, and it's probably the best short explanation of linkages. We should be able to publish a full AI tutorial fairly soon, but this excerpt may help now.

Linkage Number: Linkage type allows you to link AI Groups together so that they can perform attacks cooperatively by sharing resources. Any AI groups with a common Linkage Number will be able to share its units. Shared units generally will not race across opposite sides of the battlefield, but rather will only be used if they are within close proximity and range. You can define up to 8 different common Linkage Groups. There is also a setting called “Grab Other Units” which means that any units (regardless of Linkage Number) within range can be grabbed to work cooperatively with this AI group in this Phase.

Linkage Type: Allows you to specify to what degree units that are linked (or have a Grab setting) can work cooperatively. You can specify the Linkage Type as either Combat Link or Artillery Link. Combat Link means that all combat units will work cooperatively if linked via the Link Number, and Artillery Link means that only ART units will be used via the Link Number.

The best way to understand this is to look at the AI for Overlord. the AI groups containing Panzer divisions are allowed to just Grab Other units for their attacks, and their links are Combat Links, meaning that they can co-opt combat units and artillery.

In Overlord, the AI group SS Panzer Group (A), which includes 12th SS Panzer, can Grab Other with a combat link. The AI group Caen Group, which includes 21st Panzer and the crummy collection of Infantry divisions that come on near Caen are not allowed to link with anything.

This means that attacks by 12th SS can include anybody (as they should) while if the Caen group wants to make attacks, they have to do it with their own resources, and can't do it by grabbing 12th SS units, and potentially spoiling their much more important attacks.

To ensure this, SS Panzer Group (A) has its Priority set to First Chosen while Caen Group is set to Normal, meaning that SS Panzer Group (A) will do all its attacks first while Caen Group will wait.

Hope this helps.

Gregor

Excellent - thanks, Gregor.